Gate of Destiny
by KievaLynn
Summary: Aeris alive? Heroes from other worlds? Just what's going on here? Aeris/O.C. Standard Disclaimer, I don't own any of this.
1. Chapter 1

Final Fantasy: Gate of Destiny

Author's Opening Notes:

1: This story is loosely based on the storyline for a game I once made using the PS 1 RPG Maker.

2: This story has strong crossover elements with other Final Fantasy games. I'm putting it in the FF7 page instead of a crossover page because the entire story takes place in the FF7 world, and the central character and main villain are both from that game.

3: The O/C Character Kristoph uses a White Lantern ring, as based on the white power rings seen in the Green Lantern "Blackest Night" and "Brightest Day" storylines. The ring is less powerful for balance reasons however. (i.e., he can't fly with it.)

4: This story isn't intended to be A.U. However, certain aspects may push it into that territory. Take this as you will.

5: Apologies to those who insist on the "th" spelling of Aeris. I know it's the one that's correct. But the copy I played used the "s" spelling and I just can't get used to the other one. So I'll be using "s" here. This said, let's begin:

Chapter One

The first thing she was aware of was the warmth. Wherever she was, it was very warm and dark. The sensation of weight pressed in next, and she realized that the warmth was from being under thick blankets in a comfortable bed. The feeling of safety and contentment was so strong that Aeris nearly slipped back into unconsciousness. She was prevented from doing so by the sudden intrusion of memories. The Ancient City, Cloud, Sephiroth descending from above-

Aeris sat upright with a jolt. Opened her eyes. She found herself in a small bedroom, with log-cabin walls and handcrafted furniture. Bookcases filled every spare niche of the room, which she now realized wasn't as dark as she had thought. A pair of dim lights glowed on either side of the headboard. The girl pulled down the blankets and saw that someone had dressed her in an oversized sweater and loosely-fitting sweatpants.

"How am I alive?" She wondered. "I remember what happened with Sephiroth… I suppose a blade could go through someone and miss everything vital. But not in _his _hands. He wanted me dead and he's too good at what he does to mess it up… Yet here I am…"

Confused, she gazed downward and wrapped the fingers of both hands around the bottom of the sweater. Afraid of what she would see if she pulled it up to look, yet also afraid of going on without knowing what was happening, Aeris hesitated a moment before finding the courage to take a look. A scar stretched across her upper abdomen. She saw that her analysis had been right: There was simply no way to have survived this. Still, she was alive after all, and the wound was clearly healing. Reaching her left arm around behind and under the sweater, Aeris found a matching wound on her back. It also felt like it was healing.

"No magic can cure a wound this severe." She thought. "What in the world is going on?" For several minutes, Aeris simply sat in the bed, thinking hard but finding no answers. In time, she decided she would have to go looking for the answer. She carefully slid to the edge of the bed and stepped down onto the cool wooden floor. She stepped quietly over to the room's sole window and brushed the curtains aside. Outside it was dusk. The sky was mostly dark already, though the last rays of the setting sun still painted the western sky a deep orange and red. She saw a narrow but fast-running creek near the house, and forests beyond that. She also saw that the room she was in was on the second floor, and looking back across the room noticed the head of a staircase she had missed, in the far corner.

Again moving carefully, quietly, the girl crossed the room and stood on the top step. There was someone home downstairs. She could hear the sounds of footfalls on the lower floor, and some unidentified metallic clinking sounds. Of greatest interest to her was the smell of something cooking. It was an inviting smell, and she realized with a start how terribly hungry she was. She didn't even realize she had started down the stairs, drawn by the scent, until she found herself on the bottom step.

Aeris peered around the corner and saw a large living room. There was a pair of heavily stuffed easy chairs, a table with a lamp, and another set of bookcases. Atop one of the shelves was a pure white, faintly glowing object. She couldn't tell if it was metal or crystal, as it showed features of both, but she did see that it resembled some type of lantern. Three doors exited off of this room. The first was clearly an outside door. The second led into a darkened room she couldn't make out. The third opened into a well-lit kitchen. Through the kitchen door, Aeris saw a large pot on the stove with steam rising out of it. There was also the person she had heard from upstairs. A thirtyish man with short dark hair stood before the boiling pot, stirring it.

Aeris took a moment to weigh her options. She briefly considered making for the outside door, but thought better of it. "I'm hungry, I'm still tired, and I don't know where I am." She thought. "I'd not make it far in those circumstances. Besides, whoever this guy is, he's obviously taken care of me…"

Mind made up, Aeris stepped to the kitchen door and knocked softly on the door jam. The mystery man looked up from his cook pot and smiled. "Well well. You're awake. Honestly, I should be surprised to see you up so soon, but then again you really are a remarkably fast healer."

Stepping into the room, Aeris answered "Actually, I'm starting to think it was the smell of the food that woke me up. I'm famished."

"No surprise there. I've done what I could to keep nutrients in you, but that's not easy when the patient is unconscious and you don't have any I.V. equipment. The good news is, you're up just in time. The stew will be ready in about five minutes…" For a moment, the man was quiet, then he said "Look, I know I've got some questions for you, and I'm sure you've got some for me too. We can talk over dinner. For now, let me just say that you've got no reason to be afraid of me. I assure you I'm only dangerous to the 'bad guys.'"

Aeris grinned. "I was a bit nervous at first. Waking up in a strange place and all. But I knew you must've been taking care of me… My name's Aeris, by the way."

"Kristoph." The man replied. He offered a hand and when she reached to take it, Aeris noticed that he was wearing a ring made of the same type of mysterious metal/crystal as the object in the living room.

XXXXXXX

Five minutes later Aeris and Kristoph were seated across from each other at the kitchen table. A steaming bowl of stew sat before each of them, but even as hungry as she felt, the girl found herself more hungry for information. "So, how did I end up here?" she asked. "And, for that matter, where is here?"

"Here is my little refuge." Kristoph answered. "The land was left to me by my grandparents, and I built the house myself. We're about five miles south of a small village called Aethra."

"I've never heard of Aethra." Aeris admitted. "Where is it in relation to Midgar?"

"Midgar? Is that where you're from? You're a long way from home then, it's all the way across the ocean, a good four thousand miles from here."

"I was raised in Midgar, but it's not where I'm originally from. But, as to how I got here…?"

Kristoph took a small bite of his stew, then said "There's a creek that runs across the front of my property. Not very wide, but deep and steep enough that the water flows pretty fast. Ten days ago, I was out front working in my garden when I saw movement in the stream out of the corner of my eye. I decided to take a closer look, and it's a good thing I did. It was you."

"So, wait… I just came floating down the creek then?"

"Yeah. And you were in bad shape too. Honestly, I thought you were dead when I pulled you out of the water. Something told me to check for a pulse anyway though, and I found one. So I bought you back here and did what I could to clean you up and keep you warm. Truthfully, I thought I was just making your death less painful. I never expected you to survive."

"Well, apparently you're one heck of a doctor." Aeris said with a grin. "I've never seen or heard of any type of healing magic that could repair a wound as bad as the one I suffered. Thank you."

Kristoph answered "Listen, I'd love to take credit. And this thing-" here he indicated the ring on his finger "-really can heal some nasty injuries. But I had nothing to do with this one. You healed up on your own somehow. Early on, that wound was repairing itself so quickly you almost could have watched it getting better from moment to moment."

"That doesn't make any sense." Aeris said.

"Maybe not." Kristoph agreed, "But there you have it."

"Okay… So, what about that ring? I saw the thing in the other room too. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. And trust me, I've seen a lot."

"It's a White Lantern ring." Kristoph said. "It contains the concentrated energy of life and light, and I can use it to do a lot of pretty cool things. The object in the living room is the ring's power battery. I use it to recharge the ring as needed."

"So, it's like some unusual type of materia crystal then?" Aeris asked.

"I suppose so, in a way. But the ring only obeys it's chosen bearer. It wouldn't work for anyone else."

Intrigued, Aeris reached across the table, took Kristoph's ring hand in hers, and examined the ring more closely. It was indeed made of the same material as the battery, and also had a soft glow emanating from it. The glow of the ring was weaker than that of the battery though, which explained why she hadn't previously noticed it in the bright room. The face of the ring was circular, and etched into it was a symbol: An upward-facing triangle with nine rays coming off of it. "Where did you get this?" she asked as she let go of his hand.

Kristoph answered "Right here as a matter of fact. Though, it's more like the ring got me. It flew down from the sky and right onto my finger. That was about three years ago. Since then I've used it to do what good I can for people in need."

Over the rest of their meal, Aeris told Kristoph her own story, starting in Midgar and leading up to the Ancient City. As they were finishing up, she said "Kristoph, thank you for everything you've done for me. I can never repay it. But… I need to go. I've got to get back together with my friends."

"I understand. But, we'd best wait until tomorrow morning at this point."

"We?" Aeris asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's right. Fast-healing though you are, you're still in no condition to travel alone. Besides, you don't know the local terrain. I do. And, to be blunt, this is exactly the kind of thing this ring is meant for. Adventure, excitement, foiling the evil and protecting the innocent. I'd be neglecting my duty if I stayed home."

"Alright. You make good points and I can tell there'd be no talking you out of it anyway." Aeris agreed.

Kristoph placed their empty bowls in his sink and led Aeris through the living room and to the third door she had noticed earlier. He reached in and turned on a light, revealing a small washroom. "I'm sure you're wanting to clean up." He said. He also pointed to a small trunk on the floor. "You'll find the things you had with you in there. Of course, your dress was damaged beyond repair, but I have a neighbor who's an awesome seamstress. I took what was left of it to her, and she made a pretty close copy. It's hanging on the back of the door."

"Thank you, again." Aeris said. She closed the door and looked over the new dress. It was indeed very similar to her old one, save that it lacked a matching half-jacket. In the trunk, she found her wristbands, hair bow, and shoes. There was no weapon of course, that would have been lost, and the materia with it. She was briefly excited to find her copy of the Avalanche team's PHS communicator intact, but it didn't work anymore, most likely due to water damage.

"Well." She thought. "Tomorrow I start all over again. Let's hope it's not too late to turn things around…"


	2. Chapter 2

Final Fantasy: Gate of Destiny

Chapter Two

Aeris woke early the next morning and quickly dressed. She noticed that she was already feeling better than she had the previous evening. "Is it just the food and more rest?" She wondered, "Or something more?" She laced her shoes, braided her hair, and descended the stairs. In the living room, she found the blanket Kristoph had used when sleeping on one of his downstairs chairs neatly folded and a small book was laying atop them. Aeris picked up the volume and read the title: 'The Book of Counted Sorrows.'

Returning the book to it's place, she hurried into the kitchen but her host was nowhere to be found. Intending to step out the front door and see if he was in the yard, she stepped into the living room and nearly collided with Kristoph as he exited the washroom. "Whoops!" he exclaimed. "Sorry about that. Didn't really expect you for a little longer yet. I didn't hear any movement upstairs."

"I walk soft." She answered. "But, I'm ready to go when you are."

"Then there's no reason to wait." Kristoph answered. "We can grab breakfast in town." He paused a moment, then said "Hang on, one thing I'd better take care of…" He held up his ring hand and, looking at the ring, asked "Power level?"

Aeris was surprised when the ring itself answered him. "Current power level seventeen percent." It said.

"Thought so." Kristoph said. "Best to go ahead and recharge before we leave." He crossed the room to the battery on it's shelf, picked it up, and pressed the ring to the battery's front lens. He recited this oath:

"In this world of sin and strife,

Our strength shall guard both light and life,

Let darkness tremble before our might,

As we shine forth life's endless light."

As soon as Kristoph finished the oath, a blinding white light poured forth out of the battery, flowing into the ring but also spilling out through the room. Aeris covered her eyes to keep from being blinded by the brilliance of the light, which was washing over her and, she had to admit, felt warm and inviting to be in the midst of. The surge of light lasted less than sixty seconds. Then it faded, leaving Kristoph holding the battery in one hand and the ring in the other, the latter glowing more brightly than before and with excess energy boiling off of it.

"Status report: Ring 01-2814-121:" The ring said, "Recharge cycle complete. Total available power levels one hundred percent. All systems nominal."

"All good." Kristoph said. "Let's go."

They exited via the front door and crossed the lawn. As they approached the forest, Aeris said "Is there anything dangerous in the woods? I'm feeling kind of helpless without a weapon or any materia."

"Well, you wouldn't want to try crossing the forest alone. It's crawling with Goblins and Senechial Imps. Fortunately, they've learned the hard way to give this ring a wide berth. We shouldn't have any trouble."

"I'd still feel better with something in my hands." Aeris said. She plucked a fallen tree branch off the ground. It was the right length and thickness to use as a basic staff. "Better than nothing. At least until we get to town where I can maybe buy something better."

Kristoph chuckled. "Fair enough. Actually, maybe I should be armed if only to be on the safe side." He closed his eyes and concentrated for half a second. Light energy flowed out of the ring and formed itself into the solid shape of a katana.

"Nice." Aeris said. "So, the energy just turns into whatever you can imagine?"

"Pretty much. Weapons, armor, tools. If there's something it can't make I've not found it yet."

As the pair continued deeper into the forest, they both became aware that they were being watched. Glowing eyes tracked their movement from shadowed concealment, but no attack came. For most of the journey, it appeared that Kristoph's assurances would play out. But as they crested the final hill on their way and saw Aethra in the distance a small creature flew out of the forest on leathery wings. The beast was vaguely reptilian but had a huge, oversized head. It placed itself squarely in their path.

"Imp?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah. Powerful mages. But aligned with elemental darkness, so even an army of them wouldn't stand a chance against this ring. Let's see what it wants."

They stepped closer. "Excuse me, but is there a reason you're getting in our way?" Aeris asked.

Kristoph added "You know you can't stand against me. Why give yourself the trouble?"

The imp hissed. "Trouble?" It asked. Looked at Aeris. "Know what you are I do. Cetra. Do you not feel it? The great darkness coming?"

Aeris exchanged a glance with Kristoph then said "Are you referring to Sephiroth? Meteor and the black materia? Or maybe Shinra?"

The creature shook it's head in negation. "Know nothing of these things. Feel the coming darkness… The blackness grow nigh. All life will die. Cease. End. Feel the darkness draw near. The Third Law… it comes for us all… The Gate will be shattered and all will be silence eternal."

"The third law?" Aeris whispered to Kristoph.

"I've heard the term somewhere. Can't place it's meaning though." He answered. "Not sure what 'the gate' means either."

"Can you speak a little more clearly?" Aeris said to the creature.

"Speak this clearly: All is lost. No longer have reason to hide in fear." The Imp stared at Kristoph. "Fear the light no more. At least it will grant us quick painless end."

Suddenly understanding the meaning of this last statement, Aeris spun around to see an army of Imps, moving to surround them. "We don't want this fight." She said.

"Nor do we. Better to die now than at _her_ hands though." The lead Imp responded. "End us or die trying."

The imps attacked with no further warning. Aeris ducked under the first one and as it passed overhead swung her tree-branch staff upwards, knocking it onto the ground but shattering the branch in the process. She stared briefly at the broken stump in her hands. "Great…" she murmured. Meanwhile, the Imp was getting back up. It turned to face her and started casting an attack spell. Fortunately, before the spell could be completed the Imp was hit by a blast of light energy and vaporized. She looked to the source and saw Kristoph, ring pointed at where the Imp had been.

Two Imps rushed Kristoph from opposite vectors. He swung the ring-energy katana, cleaving the first in half then blasting the other with a beam of light. "You okay?" he called to Aeris.

"Fine so far, but I lost my makeshift staff."

"I've got you covered." He answered back. From the ring flowed a mass of energy which formed itself into a quarterstaff. Kristoph tossed it to Aeris and said "Here. But let's make this quick. That energy will evaporate away after only a few minutes of not being in my own hands."

"Understood." Aeris answered. A pair of Imps flew towards her side by side. She swung the staff and struck both in one move. The blows were glancing, but the Imps both burst into bright white flames and perished from the contact. "He wasn't kidding about how the ring's energy effects dark-elemental life forms." She thought.

Another wave of Imps charged in, half making for each of their targets. Aeris handled three coming from the front, but almost didn't see the one flying in from behind. Kristoph blasted it away and ran to her side. "We'd better do this back-to back." He suggested. "And look out for any of them standing at a distance casting spells. Imp magic is nasty, Thundaga III, Aero IV, Poisonga II… I've even seen a few of them cast crap like Cryohelix and Shadowflare."

"Nasty indeed." Aeris agreed. She turned and stood with her back to his and together they faced down the remaining Imps. To the surprise of both, none of the creatures attempted to use magic against them. It turned into little more than a suicidal rush. After several minutes the crowd of Imps began to thin out. But there were still several left when she felt the ring-energy staff beginning to come apart. "Losing your gift back here." She said over her shoulder.

"It's good. I'm finished on this side." Kristoph turned to face the same direction as Aeris. Most of the remaining Imps fled. Only one, the original leader, in point of fact, stayed.

"I thank you." The Imp now said. "The majority of my clan is now spared the horror of what is to come. I wish only that I too had courage to attack you."

"I still don't get the point of this." Aeris said. "Why attack us? You say some kind of darkness is coming. But you Imps are a part of the darkness. Why would you be afraid of what's basically one of your own?"

The Imp laughed harshly. "One of our own… You truly don't feel it yet do you Cetra? No matter, you will. What comes is not of us. It is not of life. It is the Third Law. It is anti-life. To it elements mean naught. It seeks only the death of all that live. I am willing to oblige it in this regard. But not by it's own hand. I will go cleanly and quickly instead." The Imp pulled a horn from it's belt, slipped a materia crystal into it, and began casting a spell.

"He's casting Death!" Aeris exclaimed. "Out of range, quickly!" Both ran, but as it turned out there was no reason for fear. The Imp leader was casting the spell on itself. A flash of energy swirled around the creature as the spell took effect, and it fell to the ground, dead. Aeris and Kristoph walked back and looked down at the body. "This doesn't make any sense." She said. "But I don't like the way he was talking. If he's telling the truth, something even worse than what I nearly died to stop is coming our way. What could it be?"

"Disturbing thought." Kristoph agreed. "There's nothing more for us to do here. C'mon, let's get to town."

As they resumed their walk, Aeris said "Here's another mystery: How did the Imp know I was Cetra?"

Kristoph shrugged. "Maybe he's met another one?"

"Impossible." Aeris answered sadly. "I'm the only one left."

Kristoph gave her an odd look at this last, but decided to let it go. It was clearly a source of distress for her, and already he didn't like seeing Aeris upset. Instead he said "Well, the best thing to do is keep this active in the back of our minds, but try not to actually worry about it. That way, we don't stress out over things we can't do anything about yet."

Aeris smiled. "Good advice." She hesitated a moment, then continued "You know, Bugenhagen and the Shinra call me the last Ancient. The last Cetra. But, in a sense the Cetra are already dead. My mother, my biological mother I mean, was the last true Cetra. My own father was a regular human, so I'm only half."

Kristoph's unease grew stronger. Aeris was saying things that didn't add up with his knowledge of the world. He decided to test the waters just a bit. "You know, I'm actually not following some of what you say. I mean, I'm pretty well travelled though I admit I've never actually been to Midgar itself… Yet I've never even heard of this 'Shinra.' Never heard of this Sephiroth fellow either."

"Wow. I don't know how to answer that." Aeris responded. "Both are famous, or infamous, all over the world… You know what though? Now that I think about it closer… There are really a lot of things that aren't adding up in this situation, aren't there?"

"Yeah." Kristoph agreed. "Don't worry, we'll sort it out." He grinned. "Anyway, here we are." They walked the last hundred feet towards the town gate in silence. Aeris took a closer look as they approached and saw that the town really was very small. She doubted more than two hundred people live here. There was a defensive wall, and a number of homes, grain elevators, and a single church.

As they approached the gate, the guard-on-duty snapped to attention. "Welcome to Aethra!" He exclaimed. "Please state your business!"

"Passing through. Probably shopping in route." Kristoph answered.

"Very well. Please stand still for my security check." Both waited as the guard cast Libra on Kristoph and then Aeris, checking them for anything out of the ordinary. "Alright, you both check out. You may enter." He signaled to another guard in a tower who opened the gate.

As they moved to enter the town, Aeris stopped and said to the guard "Excuse me sir, may I ask a question?" The guard nodded, and she asked "How soon is this town expecting the next ship bound for Midgar?"

"Ah geez lady, I hope that's not why you're here. See, Aethra isn't very big, so we only get one ship a month. The last one left only four days ago."

"What!" Aeris exclaimed. She looked at Kristoph. "I can't wait a whole month!"

"Never fear. I knew this was a possibility, and I've got a backup plan. I'll tell you all about it over breakfast at the inn. Let's go, It's just around the first corner up here…"

Author's Note: Stay tuned for our next chapter, when the 'crossover' aspect of this story kicks in with a familiar face joining our party!


	3. Chapter 3

Final Fantasy: Gate of Destiny

Chapter Three

Kristoph led Aeris to the small town's only restaurant, which she was surprised to learn was on the third floor of Aethra's Inn, the only building in town other than the grain elevators to be more than two floors. The west-facing wall of the dining room had a series of large picture windows offering a panoramic view of the west end of town and the open country beyond it. Unlike the area to the town's south which was forested, the west was an open grassy plain that extended for miles before terminating at the base of an imposing mountain range.

They chose a table by the window, ordered, and just carried on simple conversation while waiting for their food. It was still the peak of the breakfast rush, so there were a lot of other customers. One quickly drew Aeris' attention. He was seated halfway across the room, away from the windows. He had the harsh, rugged features of a man who hasn't had an easy life, and his hair was greying. Nevertheless, she suspected he had probably been rather handsome at some point in his life. "I could tell for sure if he's take those sunglasses off." Aeris thought.

What had drawn her attention wasn't the man's looks though. It was the fact that he was staring at her. Had been, in fact, staring since she first arrived. He wasn't even trying to be unobtrusive about it. As Kristoph was finishing his glass of juice she said "Do you see that guy over there? The one wearing sunglasses?"

"He's been staring." Kristoph nodded. "You wanna go have a chat with him?"

"No. At least not yet. For now let's just ignore him. So, what was the 'backup plan' you mentioned having?"

Kristoph motioned to the distant mountains. "On the other side of that mountain range is a city called Port Timbrey. It's a big enough place that there are ships to and from Midgar all the time. I'd be shocked if there aren't half a dozen every day. So that's our next destination."

"I guess we'll have to then." Aeris said. "Though, I don't care for mountain climbing."

"Then you're in luck. We won't have to go over the mountains, we'll go under them. There's an old smuggler's tunnel running all the way through, we can use it. Of course, there are a couple of bad points to this plan…"

"Let me guess. The tunnel is full of monsters." Aeris shook her head. "You know, I'm getting a little tired of monsters. Just once, can't I go somewhere and find nothing but happy little bunnies or something?"

"I know the feeling." Kristoph agreed. "Yeah, there are monsters in the tunnel. Including, if local rumors are true, a clan of Minotaurs that sometimes waylay travellers. But, the bigger trouble is in Timbrey itself. See, the mob owns the entire town. Mafia enforcers _are_ the police force, and Don Calamari basically runs the whole place."

"So, we'll probably need his permission to get passage on a ship…" Aeris mused. "Hmmm… I don't like this. You know as well as I do he'll demand some kind of 'favor' as his price for the trip."

"Maybe." Kristoph agreed. "There's always the chance we'll get lucky and he'll just charge us a fee. And if he does want some kind of job in exchange, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Aeris started to answer when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking, she saw the man who had been watching her had gotten up and was leaving the room. "Finally. That was getting creepy."

From the table behind her, an elderly woman said "Excuse me dear? I couldn't help but notice how that fellow was watching you."

"Yeah. Who is he?" Aeris asked.

"I'm sure I don't know. He just showed up in town two days ago. Strange fellow though. When he first arrived, he was asking questions about how to get to places no one has ever heard of. Do you know, he even asked what materia crystals are and how they work? I mean, really, who doesn't know that?"

"Hmmm…" Aeris thought. "That _is_ odd…" She thanked the woman, then said to Kristoph "If he's been hanging around, we'd better keep our eyes open when we leave."

"Yeah, but at least we won't be here long. Once we're finished here, we'll stop by the town's weapon shop, find something you're comfortable with." He said. "The shop also sells materia. Not much of a selection in a town this small, but it's better than nothing."

"Sounds good." Aeris nodded. "Long walk to those mountains. We'd better stock up on supplies too."

"We will, though the trip won't be as long as you think. Believe it or not, they've actually got a Chocobo stable in a town this small."

"Really? That's great! We can be there in no time then…"

XXXXXXX

Half an hour later, Kristoph led the way to the town's only weapon's shop. Inside, Aeris quickly headed to the rack of staffs, while Kristoph watched out the door. He didn't want to alarm Aeris, but the strange man at the restaurant had disturbed him. There was something about the man's intensity that was upsetting.

The sound of something slashing through the air drew Kristoph's attention. He turned and saw Aeris trying out a staff. "Not bad." She said, "But a little imbalanced." She returned it to the rack and tried another, spinning it in a half-circle. "Better. Good balance, nice weight… How many materia will it hold…? Wow, just one. I'll pass on this too."

"Try the second one from the bottom dear." The clerk suggested. "High-carbon steel and titanium, nice weight and five slots."

Aeris pulled the suggested weapon and tested it. "Very nice." She concluded. 'How much?"

While Aeris haggled over price, Kristoph turned his attention back to the outside just in time to see a familiar stranger disappear around the corner. "Thought so." He considered following, but decided better. "Let him make the first move. I'll be ready."

Having talked the clerk down to seven thousand gil for the staff, Aeris asked to see the materia selection. From behind the counter, the man produced a large locked case, worked the combination, and opened it wide. Inside were three dozen materia of various types, mostly green spell crystals. Looking over the selection, she picked out materia for fire, ice, and cure. Then something unusual caught her eye. She picked up an unfamiliar green materia, looked it over. "Excuse me," she asked the clerk, "I'm pretty familiar with materia, but I don't recognize this at all. What does it cast?"

"You like that huh? Yeah, I don't blame you for not recognizing it. Very rare, I've only ever seen maybe a dozen of them… It's an Aurora Materia."

"Aurora?"

"Yeah. It can be used to cast light-elemental attack spells. Aurora, Aurora II, Aurora III. Dependent on the crystal's level of course, like all materia. Very useful against dark-elemental monsters and the undead."

"It's like a weaker, combat-usable form of Holy…" Aeris thought to herself. "How much?" she asked.

"Well, given it's rarity I'd usually charge quite a bit. Around a hundred thousand probably. But, seeing as how business doesn't exactly boom in a town this small, and that you've paid the day's expenses buyin' that staff… Fifty-five thousand is just over my own cost. Best I can do."

"That almost breaks me, once everything else is totaled in." she thought. "But I can't let this go…" She looked the clerk in the eyes. "You've got a deal sir." The exchange was quickly concluded and Aeris joined Kristoph by the door. "I'm ready. Is he out there?"

"How did you even know that's what I was watching for?" Kristoph asked.

Aeris leaned towards him, grinning. "It's pretty obvious. And I can tell from your expression that the answer is 'yes.' He _was_ out there wasn't he?"

"A couple minutes ago." Kristoph admitted. "He went around the far corner down there, hasn't showed back up. I think we should make for the stables, go ahead and get out of town before there's any trouble."

"I agree. Let's move…"

XXXXXXX

To the far side of town, across the three main roads and down narrow alleys, Kristoph and Aeris headed to the stables. They were taking this back-route to avoid the odd man from the restaurant. For most of the trip, it appeared they were succeeding. As they rounded the last corner and caught sight of the stables, though, he was there. Standing directly in their path. Kristoph glanced at Aeris, then back at the stranger. "Alright then. Let's do this."

Aeris swung her new staff around into a defensive posture while Kristoph formed a pair of katana from ring-energy. Both were surprised when the man held up both hands and said "Hold. I'm not an enemy. But we need to talk." As if to show his sincerity, he drew his own weapon, a large sword, placed in on the ground, and took two steps back.

"Okay, I'll bite." Kristoph said. "What exactly do you want?"

"Yeah, who are you and why were you staring at me?" Aeris agreed.

"I apologize if I frightened you." The man answered. "When you get to be my age though, when you have the kind of experience I have… You learn to read people. You can tell a lot about what a person is thinking and feeling and going through by just looking at them. You drew my attention because everything about your body language says that something very unusual has happened to you recently."

"And what business is that of yours, even if it is true?" Kristoph asked.

Aeris placed a hand on Kristoph's shoulder. 'It's okay… You're right about something strange happening to me. But I agree with my friend, what does that have to do with you?

"Quite simply this: I have also had something very unusual occur to me in the last few days. Something ongoing, actually. So, when I saw you, I wondered if perhaps there might be a connection."

"Okay… What is it that's happened to you?" Aeris asked.

"First let me ask you a question. Tell me, do you believe in other worlds? By this I don't mean simply other planets and moons out in space. I mean other places where there is life and people. Are you willing to accept that this world might not be the only one that is inhabited?"

"We don't have to accept that one on faith." Aeris answered. "My ancestors were destroyed by a terrible creature that came from somewhere else. And Kristoph's ring doesn't seem to be of this world either. Why are you asking?"

"My name is Auron. And I, too, am not of this world."

Stunned by this revelation, Aeris and Kristoph looked at each other, then back to Auron. "Forgive my skepticism," Kristoph said, "But how do you know you this isn't your world?"

Auron answered "There are several lines of evidence that tell me so. For one thing, my world, Spira, is a water-world. The only land is a handful of small islands. In two days, I've seen more dry land on this one landmass than exists on my entire planet. Magic doesn't follow the same rules here as it does on Spira either. There's no Yu-Yevon religion, no blitzball leagues… When I look up at the night sky, the stars are all wrong…"

"Alright… I admit, that's pretty convincing set of arguments." Kristoph granted. "But it still doesn't explain your interest in us. Or I should say your interest in her."

Before Auron could answer, a light went on in Aeris' mind. "I get it!" she exclaimed. "You saw someone else who you could tell was also having a strange experience, and thought maybe I had been pulled out of my own world too!"

"Exactly." Auron confirmed. "Though, I now assume that your issues are something entirely different."

"Yeah. Some things may not be adding up, but I'm sure I'm still in my correct world. My troubles have more to do with figuring out how I'm still alive when I should be dead after what happened to me."

"Hmmm…" Auron mused. "Then I'm no closer to figuring out why I'm here…"

"Why you're here?" Kristoph asked. "Then, you assume there's some purpose to what's happening with you?"

Auron replied "I'm certain of it. Things like this don't just happen on their own. The only explanation for my presence here is that something, or, more likely, someone, bought me here. And so my goal now is, first, to find out what that purpose is, and second, to either fulfill it if it's good, or punish those responsible if it's bad." He fell silent for only a moment before adding "Is it true that the only way to get out into the bigger world here is via this 'Port Timbrey' you were talking about earlier?"

Kristoph and Aeris were both more than a little upset to learn that Auron had been not only watching but also listening in. Nevertheless, Kristoph simply answered "Yes, unless you're willing to wait here for a month 'til the next ship arrives."

Nodding, Auron said "In that case, if you're willing, I'll travel with you as far as the city. Beyond that, our ways may part. After all, you have your path to seek, and I have mine. But it seems they run together as far as Timbrey."

Turning away from Auron, Aeris said "What do you think?"

"I don't like this guy. But he seems on the level."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Aeris agreed. "Of course, another sword-hand could be useful in the tunnel. Especially if those Minotaurs turn out to be real."

Kristoph sighed. "It's really your choice I think. You're right about the extra help."

"Alright. We'll take him along, but we'll both keep a close eye on him." Aeris turned back to Auron. "If you want to come along, you're welcome to do so."

"Alright then. Let's go." Saying no more, Auron walked towards the stables…


	4. Chapter 4

Final Fantasy: Gate of Destiny

Chapter Four

Side-by-side, Aeris, Kristoph, and Auron rode a trio of Chocobos across the wide open plains west of Aethra. Kristoph was in the lead, guiding the way to the east-end entrance of the Smuggler's Pass. The trip was all-too brief for Aeris. As they dismounted at the entrance and the birds fled back to their home she said "I could almost wish they were a little slower. That's just too much fun, but the trips are over so quickly."

"Yeah." Kristoph agreed. "Tell you what, someday when we don't have pressing business, we'll rent a couple and just ride for the fun of it, as long as you want. My treat."

"Is that a request for a date?" Aeris asked, leaning in towards Kristoph and grinning. He blushed and seemed flustered, so she took pity on him. "Just kidding. If it was a date you'd have said 'we'll rent _one_.' But, it sounds like fun. You just tell me when and where."

Ignoring them both, Auron walked to the tunnel entrance and peered in. "No light sources." He said. Do we have torches?"

Kristoph answered "We've got something better." He concentrated and the ring produced an energy-construct lantern. "This'll give us all the light we need."

"Handy tool." Auron said. He started into the tunnel, but Aeris called for him to wait.

"Here." She said, removing the fire materia from her staff. "This'll help you out some."

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Auron answered. "For starters, I've never been big on magic. And besides that, I don't know how to use those things. And my sword doesn't have a place to equip them."

Aeris shrugged and slid the materia back into her staff. "Your loss." She said, "Lemme know if you change your mind, I'll bet Kristoph could create a drill with that ring and make a couple slots in that blade for you…"

"Absolutely." Kristoph confirmed.

Auron shook his head and resumed his walk towards the tunnel entrance. Aeris and Kristoph each shouldered a supply satchel and followed him.

XXXXXXXXX

Inside, the tunnel was every bit as dark as you would expect a cave to be. As Auron had noted, there were no artificial light sources and no bioluminescent plants or fungi either. The light from the lantern Kristoph had made reflected off the rock, which was mostly granite. Quartz crystals clustered in the corners, and water dripped constantly from the roof. "I thought you said this was an artificial tunnel." Auron said, "But it looks like a natural cave to me."

"Half and half." Kristoph answered. "There are several caves that have no natural connections to each other under these mountains. The tunnel builders connected those and built bridges over the deep chasms in the caves."

"And the Minotaurs? Where do those come into the picture?" Aeris asked.

Kristoph chuckled. "First, keep in mind I'm not sure they even exist. I've never seen one. But according to the stories they live in these caves naturally and didn't appreciate the intrusion."

"Makes sense." Auron nodded.

"Should we be using this tunnel if we're intruding in someone else's territory?" Aeris wondered.

"If I knew for sure there really were Minotaurs down here, we wouldn't be coming this way." Kristoph answered.

As the group proceeded deeper into the tunnel, they began to catch sight of some of the creatures that called it home. Most were small and made no effort to attack, but a pair of large twenty-foot centipedes had to be frightened away with a blinding flash of light from the lantern. After several hours of travel, they crossed a long narrow bridge over a chasm so deep no bottom could be seen, and came to a small round chamber much drier than the rest of the tunnel.

"This is about the halfway point." Kristoph said. "We should rest here for awhile."

"Sounds good to me." Aeris said. She propped her staff against the wall and sat down. Auron stood at the entrance to the chamber, watching back the way they had come. "Hey Auron, c'mon, sit, rest." Aeris said to him. "We've got food too." She dug into a satchel and produced a ration bar.

Auron accepted the food but refused to sit. "I'll take watch. I don't need much sleep or rest at all."

"Suit yourself." Kristoph said. He took one of the ration bars and sat across from Aeris with the lantern by his side.

Eyeing the light source, Aeris said "Hey, what happens if your ring runs out of power before you get home? I mean, you left the battery on your bookcase."

"It's not a problem. If I need to recharge the ring can call the battery. It'll teleport directly to me, then return home afterwards."

Kristoph would have explained further, but before he could say anymore the sound of a cry for help came to them from somewhere further ahead. Auron swung around and was in the lead position by the time Aeris and Kristoph were back on their feet. Together they moved ahead as quickly as reasonable safety would allow, seeking the source of the cry. Soon, the sounds of a scuffle could be heard, and a young woman's voice crying out.

"Why won't you answer me!" the voice exclaimed. "Indra? Shiva? Asura? Why is no one responding, I need your help!"

Rounding the corner into another natural cave chamber, the trio saw the girl first. She was sixteen, perhaps seventeen, dressed in light green robes. A small round shield was in her left hand and a chain-link whip in the right. She was facing a quartet of monsters approaching her in a semi-circle. The creatures were huge, ten feet tall and perhaps four hundred pounds of solid muscle. They were also, unmistakably, Minotaurs.

"Well that answers that." Aeris whispered. "So, how do we approach this? I mean, we've got to save her, but they're the ones in the right since this is their territory."

"I don't like it, but if we're gonna help her it's coming down to a fight. Minotaurs simply do not negotiate." Kristoph answered.

The young girl tried again to cast a spell, but nothing happened. She looked down at her hands in confusion, then returned her attention to the Minotaurs as they resumed their approach.

"Enough talk." Auron said. "Let's do what needs to be done." No one had a chance to respond before he was in the room, by the girl's side. He shrugged off his cloak and drew the massive sword from it's holster on his back. "Don't worry." He said to the girl, "We'll help you."

As Kristoph and Aeris joined Auron by the girl's side, one of the Minotaurs lunged forward. It bellowed loudly and raised a massive axe over it's head. The weapon was so large and heavy that it seemed unstoppable. Incredibly, Auron threw himself into the path of the down swinging axe and blocked it with his sword, then half-spun in place, twisting the axe loose of the monster's hands with the first part of the move and striking it with the latter half. The Minotaur fell backwards, injured but not killed.

Enraged by what had just occurred, the remaining Minotaurs attacked. Two drew lances and ran towards Auron, while the third stood back and began casting Beta.

"Help Auron." Aeris shouted to Kristoph. "I'll deal with the caster." She turned to face the spell casting Minotaur and responded with a spell of her own, Ice. The monster had started casting first, but ice took less time to complete. Both spells triggered at the same moment, Fire and ice colliding and erupting in a blast of steam that filled the chamber and reduced visibility to near-zero.

Suddenly blinded, the charging Minotaurs missed Auron, who took advantage of the situation to grab the young girl's arm and pull her to safety. Even without being able to see, he managed to guide her safely to the opening they had entered the chamber through. Aeris was still there by the opening. "Where's Kristoph?" she asked. "He was coming to help you."

"I didn't see him." Auron answered. "Then, you can't see anything right now." He disappeared back into the mist.

The new girl stared at Aeris. "Who are you people?" she demanded. "What's going on here anyway?"

"One thing at a time." Aeris answered. She tried looking into the mist but could still see nothing. Then a strange sound began ringing through the cave. After a moment, Aeris recognized it as the sound of a fan. The mist began to clear and then she saw that Kristoph had made a fan from the ring's energy and was using it to clear away the mist. A moment later, Auron came back into view, with a second Minotaur unconscious on the ground at his feet.

Without warning, the girl jumped away from Aeris' side and ran towards Auron. Aeris shouted for her to stop, but then saw what she was doing: The third Minotaur was creeping up behind Auron, poised to strike. It never got the chance, as the girl struck. Her whip wrapped around the monster's weapon-arm, and she jerked back causing to lose it's grip. Now unarmed, it fled. Seeing itself deprived of all of it's comrades, the fourth Minotaur also turned tail and ran away.

The three travellers and their new acquaintance gathered in the center of the chamber. "Thank you for helping me." The girl said. "Though, you understand if there wasn't something going badly wrong with my magic and summoning skills I would've handled that just fine by myself." She smiled warmly. "Name's Rydia."

"I'm Aeris and this is Kristoph and Auron. So… How did you end up down here anyway?"

"You've got me." Rydia shrugged as she rewound her whip and attached it to her belt. "I don't even know where 'here' is. All I can tell you is, I went to bed last night in the Eidolion village where I live, and woke up here."

"That had to be disconcerting." Kristoph said.

Rydia nodded. "Very. But it's the lesser part of it really. I'm an accomplished summoner. A Caller of the Mist Valley… The Eidolions answer my slightest call. Or they should. None of them are answering me today. It's like they aren't even there. None of my magic is working either…"

Aeris looked at Kristoph and he looked at her. Both looked at Auron, then Rydia. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Aeris asked.

"Totally." Kristoph agreed.

Aeris removed a materia crystal from her staff and handed it to Rydia. "This question will sound really dumb to you if what I'm thinking is wrong, but… Do you know what this is?"

"Some kind of crystal." Rydia answered. "Very beautiful really. But I've never seen one quite like this. What is it?"

"That confirms it. No one who belongs in this world wouldn't recognize materia." Aeris thought. She said "You'd better sit down for a minute. We've got something to tell you…"

XXXXXXXXX

Half an hour later and the tale was told. Rydia wasn't sure what to make of this strange story of no longer being in her own world. But, she had to admit, it explained what was going wrong with her magic and summoning powers. "So," she asked, "You're telling me that no one here can use any magic at all without channeling power through these 'materia' crystals?"

"That's right." Aeris answered. "You just focus on the materia and you can use it's power as if it were your own. In point of fact, Summoning powers like the ones you have naturally in your world do exist here too, but they also work through special red materia."

"I understand the need to explain things." Auron interrupted, "But we'd best move on. Those two Minotaurs could return with help any time."

"He's right." Rydia agreed. "Can I stay with you, at least until we're out of this cave?"

"Of course." Aeris agreed. "Right guys?"

Auron said nothing, but Kristoph nodded, then said "Rydia, may I see that whip for a moment?" She handed it over, and was surprised when he drilled a pair of small holes in the handle using his ring. Handing it back he said "Those slots will let you equip materia into your weapon and use it."

Aeris then handed Rydia one of her own materia. "How do you know what spells it can cast?" Rydia asked.

Aeris answered "You'll get a feel for it with time, at least with materia you have experience with. This one is Fire."

Rydia's eyes grew wide. "Um… Not to sound ungrateful but… Do you have something other than fire I could use? I mean, I'll use it if I have to, but I'm not very fond of fire…"

Seeing the dread in the younger girl's eyes, Aeris exchanged the materia for another. "This one is Ice."

"Much better." Rydia smiled. She slid the Ice Materia into her whip's handle.

"If your trading is done, we really do need to move." Auron insisted. Everyone agreed and they moved further into the tunnel together. Knowing the correct path, Kristoph took point with Aeris directly behind him. Auron and Rydia followed side-by side at the rear.

"So you're not from around here either?" Rydia asked him.

"No." Auron answered. "My world is Spira."

"Hmm… I only ask because you seem to be taking it so well. I'm more than a little rattled by all this, but you're all calm and cool."

"I've seen a lot of horrors. A little world-hopping isn't going to disturb me."

"If you say so." Rydia answered. She picked up her pace a bit and walked by Aeris. "Where did you find this guy?" She whispered.

"I know, right? He's kind of intense. And, by the way, I'm pretty sure he can hear you whisper even all the way back there."

In the lead, Kristoph came to a narrow passage opening into the last chamber of the passage. He waited for everyone else to catch up, then said. "Heads up. This is the end of the tunnel, last big chamber. If we're going to get ambushed by other Minotaurs this is their last chance. So move quick but keep alert." Everyone nodded in agreement and they moved quickly into the new chamber.

Just as they were crossing the midpoint of the room, a terrible howl arose and the floor trembled. "Not good." Auron commented.

Kristoph agreed. "No, there must be a whole army of them coming right at us!"

The howl came again, closer, and everyone turned to face it. From out of a wide chasm in the rock floor came a huge hand, then another. The author of the howls pulled itself into view. "Correction: There's just one of them." Aeris said. More of the gigantic Minotaur rose into sight, leaving no doubt as to it's enormity. This specimen was easily ten times the size of those encountered before. Huge, powerful, and full of rage, Minotaur Gigantea blocked the path to the tunnel's exit…


End file.
